Behind Closed Doors

Chapter 58

Riley's POV

I walk out of the store, and bump into someone, and surprised to see its my mom.

"Oh, hi sweetheart." She chuckles. I smile awkwardly.

"I was just coming to meet you." I tell her.

"Did you get anything?" She questions.

"Um, no. I didn't know what to get." I reply.

"Oh, I'll help you. Did you come out of this store? Let's go back in and look." She suggests, grabbing my hand.

"Actually, I don't think-"

"I'm sure we'll find something in here for you." She says, cutting me while dragging me into the store. The eyes of A Troupe immediately fall back on my, mom and sister.

"Here, let's see what we can find." She sighs, bringing me to the pile of shirts I had been digging through.

"Don't steal anything Riley." Michelle's voice practically sings as she walks closer. My mom stops digging though the shirts and looks at Michelle oddly.

"What are you talking about?" She questions Michelle.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Michelle. Riley and I used to dance together. Before she got kicked off the team for stealing my bracelet." Michelle explains to my mother, putting on a terrible pitiful act.

"Is that so?" Mom says, looking at me with narrowed eye like I just betrayed her.

"She's lying. I didn't steal anything." I say.

"Then how did my bracelet magically go from my bag to yours?" Michelle asks.

"Probably because you put it there." I argue. Michelle sighs and turns back to my mom with a smile.

"I'm sorry for you to here this from me ma'm. I had decided not to press charges of any kind. She's clearly a troubled child so I'm not surprised that she stole my bracelet and is now lying about it, although it still doesn't heal the fact that I feel betrayed. And since she's still obviously troubled, don't be surprised when it happens again." Michelle tells my mom, while my mouth hangs open.

"Okay Michelle, you can knock it off now." James cuts in.

"I'm just giving this poor women an insight of what's bound to happen since she let someone like Riley into her life." Michelle says to him.

"And I appreciate it, actually. Although I would have loved to be told before I signed those papers that I was adopting a delinquent." My moms says.

"I'm not a delinquent!" I cry. "I didn't steal anything!"

"See, lying once again. Not to mention the numerous times she tried to steal my boyfriend." Michelle pipes up.

"I didn't steal anything! Not your bracelet or your boyfriend!" I continue to plead. "I would never do anything like that!"

"I wouldn't say that after seeing the way you clung to James." Tiffany says.

"Or the whole thing with the bracelet." Stephanie added.

"Michelle put it in my bag, okay? I didn't steal it!" I claim.

"Michelle would never do that." Chloe says, and everyone agreed. I turn to my mom, tears streaming down my face.

"They're all lying. I would, I would never do, do that." I stammer, but she didn't seem moved.

"I think it's time to go home." She announces coldly.